Note: Don't ever miss a post on
Quick Brown Fox. Fill in the “Follow Brian by Email” box in the right-hand
column under my bio, and get each post delivered to your Inbox. Also, if you’re
not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca ~ Brian

The McDermid
Agencyrepresents literary novelists
and upmarket commercial novelists and writers of nonfiction in the areas of
memoir, popular science, investigative journalism, popular culture, lifestyle,
biography, history and travel. The agency also represents children's and young
adult (YA) writers and writers in the fields of science fiction and fantasy.

The agency’s writers have been nominees and winners of many
literary prizes including the Man Booker Prize, the Scotiabank Giller Prize,
the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Writers Trust awards, the RBC
Taylor Prize for narrative non-fiction, the (formerly named) Orange Prize, the
Amazon First Novel Award, the Kobo Emerging Writers prize, the Danuta Gleed
Award, and the Commonwealth Prize.

The McDermid Agency has three agents actively
looking for new authors:

Monica Pachecojoined the agency in 2008 and represents a growing list of writers. represents a growing list of writers, focusing on Young Adult, science fiction and fantasy, and literary fiction

Monica will be one of three guest speakers at Brian Henry's “Writing for Children and for Young Adults” workshop, Saturday, August 12, in Collingwood. Details here.

Martha Magor Webbis a
literary agent, director and full partner at The McDermid Agency. She’s
been with the agency since 2005. She represents a wide range of books, but
her list focusesprimarilyon literary fiction,
narrative nonfiction (including memoir and true crime) and ideas-driven
nonfiction. She is especially drawn to approaches that are
thought-provoking, controversial, change the conversation on a given subject or
have a positive impact on people’s lives.

Deborah Campbell, winner of the 2016 Hilary Weston Writers Trust Prize;
Pasha Malla (long-listed for the Giller, shortlisted for the Commonwealth
Writer’s Prize, winner of the Danuta Gleed and the Trillium awards)

Jessica Grant, (winner of the Amazon.ca First Novel and the Winterset
awards) Grace O'Connell; Andrew Westoll

and Karen Le Billon, whose first book French Kids Eat Everything sold
into thirteen countries and translated into ten languages.

Martha will be one of three guest speakers at Brian
Henry's “How to Get Published” mini-conference Saturday, November 18,
in Guelph. Details here.

Chris Bucciis a
literary agent, director and full partner at The McDermid Agency. He represents
bestselling authors such as Bob Rae, Timothy Caulfield, Susan Delacourt, Jowita
Bydlowdka, James Grainger, and Kerri Sakamoto.

Chris began his career at the University of Toronto Press and soon
became an acquisitions editor in social sciences and cultural studies. Chris
joined HarperCollins Canada in 2003 as a nonfiction editor. Moving to
McClelland & Stewart in 2004, Chris helped revitalize their nonfiction program,
establishing relationships with international authors, agents and publishers.

Chris represents both fiction and nonfiction. In particular,
he’s looking for literary fiction, mysteries,
thrillers, historical fiction, commercial literary fiction and narrative
nonfiction. For nonfiction, he seeks popular science, sports, popular culture,
politics, essays, and history.

Submissions:Send queries to:info@mcdermidagency.com
You are welcome to include the first 5–15 pages of your
manuscript. Please do not send any further material unless invited. And
naturally, you should address your query to one agent in particular. Full
submission guidelineshere.

Brian Henry will lead aWriting for Children & for Young Adult workshop
on Saturday, August 12, in Collingwood with literary agent Monica Pacheco (seehere).

Also, in
the fall, Brian will lead a“How to Make Yourself
Write”workshop on Saturday, Oct
14, in Toronto (see here),
a “Writing
a Bestseller”workshop with New
York Times #1 bestselling author Kelley Armstrong on Saturday, Oct 21 (see here),
and a “How
to Get Published”mini-conference, with author Hannah McKinnon, literary
agent Martha Webb, and HarperCollins editor Michelle Meade on Saturday, Nov 18
(see here).

Brian will leada full range of courses, introductory
to advanced, including (for the first time) a weekly creative writing course
in Toronto:

Navigation tips: Always check out the labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to
various distinct collections of postings. Also, if you're searching for a
literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check outthis post.

Sunday, July 30, 2017

We enter the city of Colombo and are
immediately engulfed in trucks, buses, cars and bullock carts. The stench of
fish being transported to the market invades our car like a coiled snake, silent
yet potent. We hear raised voices, cars honking impatiently, chaos all around,
and although anxious about grandmother’s illness, I am excited to be in the big
city. We left our quiet home town at dawn.

Approaching my grandparents’ house,
we notice the garden edged with rows of white plastic chairs and the wrought iron
gates wide open. Dad slaps his palm against his forehead.
He drives slowly up the driveway to the house, and stops. His head and
shoulders slump against the steering wheel and remains still. Mom reaches out across
the car seat and holds him.

“Come Daniel,” he tells me, and
we slowly get out of the car.

Aunty Lakshmi, Dad’s sister, quickly
approaches the car, and hugs him as he steps out.

“When did it happen?” Mom asks
gently.

“Early morning,” says my aunt. “You’d already
left home, there was no way of informing you, and anyway it’s a long drive, we
did not want to upset you.”

Aunty Lakshmi’s nose is red from
crying. She and her husband, Uncle Wilson, remain at the entrance to greet
people. Mom slips her arm around Dad and
they stay silently together in the kitchen, Dad stares out of the window with
unseeing eyes. He shows no emotion. He is dazed, as if it were too much to
grasp.

My cousin Sharon, with the
birthmark above her lip, holds me by the arm and we slip out to the garden. We caress the flowers that grandmother has
grown with love and care remembering how she talked to her plants. Now, who will
talk to the yellow roses and the red anthuriums? A fruit from the Jack tree has
fallen and split open. It is attacked by crows with relish, their sharp beaks
penetrating the soft flesh. The pungent smell hangs in the air.

My grandmother is in a coffin which
has been placed in the centre of the living room. The chairs lining the walls
are occupied by family and friends. Aunty Seetha is sobbing, which prods Aunty
Joyce to a fresh bout of weeping. Aunty Joyce, her makeup smeared, hurriedly
rummages in her bag for a handkerchief. Uncle Jayantha is looking down at his
shoes, observing them with great care.

Grandfather sits, silently
nodding at people as they talk to him, absorbing nothing, overcome with grief. I’ve
never seen grandfather like this but this is my first time at a funeral. Grandmother
appears different, smaller in her white sari in the coffin, almost a stranger. There are others talking softly, regarding
the cause of her death.

I hear a whisper. “Where is
Jerome?”

“Who knows, maybe he won’t come.”

“Of course he will. The house, would he not get his share?”

“The other children, would they protest?”

Sly glances are exchanged as my
pretty aunt Lakshmi leaves the room abruptly biting her lips, eyes downcast. I
overhear her in the passage which leads to the bedroom, complaining to my uncle
that these people should mind their own business. I am puzzled about this
Jerome they are referring to, not having heard of him before.

Aunts and Uncles come throughout
the day, giving me hugs and patting my head they ask me how old I am and comment
on how grown up I am for a twelve-year-old boy.

“You must be missing school, no?”
says Aunty Noeline.

I nod, not caring about the classes I’m
missing. In the midday heat the sari blouses of the aunties are wet with
underarm sweat and faces smeared with tears. I avoid the embraces by going into
the bedroom and staying under the fan, pretending to be asleep.

A commotion from the group of men
at the back of the garden wakes me up. I saw them previously, discretely
consuming a bottle of Arak. Simon a neighbor is accusing Dad of keeping Jerome
away from the house.

Dad’s authoritative voice is deep
and clear: “Take the knife from Simon.”

There are cries to call the
police. People inside the house are streaming into the garden. People passing
by are crowding in through the gates, others who had left before are returning
to investigate.

I am urged into the house by my
harried aunt. “Go in, go in, what are you doing here, go into the room and stay
there,” she commands.

I am scared and confused. Should
these things be happening at Grandmother’s funeral?

I run
in and see my grandfather, alone, squatting on the floor, covering his head
with both hands, swaying back and forth, softly moaning. The living room is
empty except for Grandmother who lies silent in the coffin, no longer in the same
bed she shared with Grandfather for the past sixty years.

I crouch beside Grandfather and place
my hand in his. Slowly we rise. Still holding hands, we sit beside each other
until Dad enters the room. The tears that I didn’t shed before are coming down
uncontrollably. I wipe them away with the back of my hand.

Between sobs I choke out, “We
must visit Grandfather every month now.”

Dad hugs me and says, “Yes
Daniel, we will”.

Dad’s face crumples as he grasps grandfather‘s
hand. An unspoken rift is laid to rest.

Nadine
Rodrigo was
born in Quebec and grew up in Sri Lanka,
which has influenced much of her writing. She sees writing like having a baby:
you give birth to your story, nurture it tenderly and rein it in when necessary
and hope the ultimate result will be splendid.

St. Alban's Church, 537 Main Street,Georgetown, Ontario (in
the village of Glen Williams (Map here.)See details of all 7 weekly
course offered this fall here.

The Intensive
course is for experienced writers; people
who have been working on their craft for a while, who have some experience
in the art of giving helpful critiques, and who are working on their own
projects.

During course, you’ll be asked to bring in five pieces of your
writing for detailed feedback. All your pieces may be from the same work, such
as a novel in progress, or they may be stand alone pieces. You bring whatever
you want to work on.

In
addition to learning how to critique your own work and receiving constructive
suggestions about your writing, you’ll discover that the greatest benefits come
from seeing how your classmates approach and critique a piece of writing and
how they write and re-write.

Fee:$176.11 + 13% hst = 199

To reserve your spot now, email: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Instructor Brian Henryhas been a book editor and creative writing
instructor for more than 25 years. He publishes Quick Brown Fox, Canada's
most popular blog for writers, teaches creative writing at Ryerson University
and has led workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to
Saint John.But his proudest boast is that he’s
has helped many of his students get published.

Read a review of the Intensive course here. Read more
reviews of Brian’s courses and workshops here.

Friday, July 28, 2017

“Open up Gord, I know
you’re home, I can see the TV on.” Butch
banged on the door of the dilapidated shack Gord called home. Gord owed Butch 500 bucks and had been
dodging him for weeks.

Butch sighed
and peaked through the window on the front porch. A football game was underway on the TV set
and a lit cigarette smoldered in an ashtray on the coffee table.

Just then, a
giant woman in a garish pink floral dress dashed across the room, tripped, and
fell face-first onto the floor with a thud.

“Damn.” Butch tapped on the window. The woman was still as a corpse.

“Gord, your
lady friend just knocked her dumbass out cold. Come down here!”

There was no
response.

“Alright
fine, I’m coming in.”

He reared
back and kicked in the front door. The
lock ripped a chunk out of the frame as the door swung open.

Butch walked
over to the woman lying still on the floor.

She was
enormous.

He could only
see the back of her close-cropped head.
And then he noticed her arms; they were covered in thick black
hair.

His eyes
widened.

Those arms
belonged to Gord.

Gord groaned
and rolled over. He opened his eyes and
looked at Butch with alarm. Butch was a full member of the Satanic Falcon Motorcycle
Club.

And so was
Gord.

“P-please
Butch, you can’t tell nobody.”

“I can do
whatever I damn well please. Where’s my money?”

“I-In the
drawer, the kitchen top drawer.”

Butch kept
his poker face which masked his confusion.
He opened the drawer and beneath a pile of lipstick and other cosmetics
was a wad of cash. He peeled off five hundred-dollar
bills, stuffed them in his pocket and turned to leave. As he reached the door Gord pleaded, “Please, Butch, if the guys find out, they’ll kill me.”

Butch stopped
and looked at him. “So, you like wearing
red lipstick huh?”

Gord bowed
his head. “Yes,” he mumbled.

Butch shook
his head. “Red’s not your colour, Gord. Pink is. It would match your dress perfectly. Why don’t you come over tonight and we’ll try
out some different shades.”

“W-what?”

Butch pulled
down the hip of his jeans a couple inches to reveal a pair of bright pink
cotton panties. Gords’ eyes lit up with
delight and Butch gave him a wink. “But
next time, Gord, pay me my money on time.”

Matthew
Maloney is an up and coming author who lives in Mississauga, Ontario.His first collection of speculative fiction short stories The Last Keeper of the Seal is set to be released in late 2017 on print and
e-book formats.

Note: Don't ever miss a post on Quick Brown Fox. Fill in the “Follow Brian by
Email” box in the right-hand column under my bio and get each post delivered to
your Inbox. And if you’re not yet on my newsletter, send me an email, including
your locale, to: brianhenry@sympatico.ca
~Brian

Kimberley Cameron & Associates is a
West Coast agency with seven agents on its roster, three of whom are actively
looking for authors, including, Kimberley Cameron, the agency’s highly
experienced president:

Kimberley Cameronbegan her career as an agent trainee at the Marjel
d Lauer Agency in association with Jay Garon in New York. She worked at MGM for
several years developing books for motion pictures. She was the co-founder of
Knightsbridge Publishing Company, then in 1993 she became partners with Dorris
Halsey of the Reese Halsey Agency, founded in 1957. Among its clients have
been Aldous Huxley, William Faulkner, and Henry Miller. She opened Reese Halsey
North in 1995 and Reese Halsey Paris in 2006. Her associate Elizabeth Evans
opened Reese Halsey New York in 2008, and in 2009, the the agency became
Kimberlye Cameron & Associates.

Kimberley
lives and works in Tiburon, California, with many visits to New York to make
the rounds of the editorial offices.

“I’ve
enjoyed being an agent for 26 years, and love to find new voices,” says
Kimberley. “I love to lose myself in a story and to be transported to another
reality, whether it be in the future, contemporary, or in the past. I am a
complete Francophile and have spent lots of time living in Paris and the South
of France, and yes, I have sold lots of books from abroad, as I’m always
working! I love to read.”

Kimberley
represents both fiction and nonfiction, in many different genres and is
especially thrilled to take on new authors.

Amy
Cloughleyjoined the agency in
2012, with a background in editing, writing and marketing. She seeks authors
with unique, clear voices who put forth smart, tightly written prose. She is
actively building her client list with both debut and veteran writers.

Amy
enjoys literary and upmarket fiction of all types, in addition to commercial
fiction, including well-researched historical fiction and well-told women’s fiction.
She also loves a page-turning mystery or suspense with sharp wit and unexpected
twists and turns.

She
has a soft spot for distinctive, strong contemporary characters set in small
towns. Amy always looks for an unexpected story arc, a suitable pace, and a
compelling protagonist.

In
nonfiction, Amy is interested in narrative nonfiction that immerse the reader in
a culture, lifestyle, discipline, or industry. She will also consider a travel
or adventure memoir.

Navigation tips: Always check out the labels underneath a post; they’ll lead you to
various distinct collections of postings. Also, if you're searching for a
literary agent who represents a particular type of book, check outthis post.

Brian Henry has been a book editor, writer, and creative writing instructor for more than 25 years. He teaches creative writing at Ryerson University. He also leads weekly creative writing courses in Burlington, Mississauga, Oakville and Georgetown and conducts Saturday workshops throughout Ontario. His proudest boast is that he has helped many of his students get published.